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LEARN TO DANCE |
Modern Square Dancing is based on traditional American folk dancing. Groups of eight people make up a square and dance together to the beat of the music executing various steps or patterns as the Caller directs them. The Caller makes up the sequence on the fly, so the dancers have to work together as a team to execute the dance actions with precision.
Usually there is a “tip” that is about 15 minutes long. The first part of the tip is the “patter” when the caller puts on some music and provides calls for practice and instruction. This is followed by a “singing call” when the caller puts on a recognizable piece of music and sings along with it while calling. Square dancing is like solving a puzzle where there is both structure and precision. Yet there is an effortless flow to the movement. Each person has a part to play and there’s a wonderful sense of accomplishment when it all comes together in the end.
It’s SOCIAL as you dance in sync with your partner, your square, and the music, enjoy fellowship and make new friends. It’s EXERCISE as you execute a sequence of calls – walking, turning, twirling. And it’s a CHALLENGE to your brain as you learn and react in the moment, never quite sure what will come next!
But the best way to understand square dancing is to watch some of it, so feel free to visit a workshop any Tuesday night. And if you really want inspiration watch this short video showing Tech Squares doing their stuff!
SAGE is a Social Square Dance Club and our lessons and public dances will be called at this level. The call list for SSD has been defined by CallerLab and consists of 50 of the most popular and interesting calls culled from the Basic and Mainstream (MS) lists. Open Houses are scheduled every September and again in January and you won’t need any previous dance experience to come and try it out. The first two classes are free. After that the workshops are offered every Tuesday evening 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. for a fee of $7/per person or $70 for 12 weeks. The half hour from 6:30 – 7:00 is for experienced club members and Class time for new dancers is between 7 and 8:30. Our twelve week series of lessons will teach you everything you need to know to dance anywhere at the SSD level. While it helps to have a partner, singles are welcome!
Most club members dress casually. You will want to wear clothing that is comfortable to move in and you will need an extra pair of shoes that is dedicated to indoor use to protect the floor from any dirt and grit. Some dancers wear dance sneakers or dance pumps but many wear ordinary athletic shoes with dance sleeves.
For those who are interested in the health benefits of dancing, the following articles may be of interest:
How to succeed at learning to square dance:
Additional Resources: